How to Start an Assisted Living Center in Oklahoma

Assisted living centers help either the disabled or the elderly with daily living skills, personal care and activities both in the center and in the community. Opening an assisted living center in Oklahoma lets you decide on the quality of care that the individuals you support will receive as well as the kind of services you would like to offer. Adding an assisted living center to the state of Oklahoma will not only help the state care for people who need support in their daily lives, it will also create healthcare jobs in the community.

Things You'll Need

• Business Plan
• Location
• Trained Employees
• License Application
• State Inspection
• Auto and Facility Insurance

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Instructions

• 1

  Choose a name for your assisted living center and decide on a location for your center. Register your business name with the state of Oklahoma.

• 2

  Create a business document that includes a business plan and a mission statement for your assisted living center. How many individuals do you plan on supporting in your facility? What will be your staff-to-individual ratio? What type of activities will your facility will have and what kind of individuals will you cater to? How will you train your employees so that they can best support your individuals?

• 3

  Decide on how you will bill and how your assisted living center will be funded. Apply for government grants to start your business. Contact Medicaid and Medicare and find out how to start billing them for any potential individuals you will have at your assisted living center. Contact the state of Oklahoma and find out if there are state funds available for your facility.

• 4

  Purchase or lease the building that will become your assisted living center. Examine the building and make sure it lives up to Oklahoma state standards for assisted living centers. Look at the parking and the building's accessibility. Does it have any potential room for growth and development of your center? Make sure the building has plenty of land for outside activities as well as plenty of room for inside activities. Are the bathrooms adequate and will they be well-equipped for your individuals' needs?

• 5

  Buy business insurance for your new assisted living facility. Make sure that the insurance covers both the facility itself and any vehicles that the facility might use to transport individuals. If employees use their own vehicles to transport individuals, please have your human resourses person gather all of the employees' insurance information.

• 6

  Hire and train the employees who will work at the assisted living center. Make sure to conduct background checks and gather all vehicle insurance information. Train your employees in first aid and CPR, blood born pathogens, and any other training required by Oklahoma state regulations before your doors open. Hire a human resource manager to oversee the employees and any human resource needs that your company may have.

• 7

  Fill out the state of Oklahoma's licensing packet and attach any forms that the packet requires. Make sure to include the processing fee for your license application. Send your license application for an assisted living center to:

  Health Resources Development Service
  Oklahoma State Department of Health
  P.O. Box 268823
  Oklahoma City, OK 73126-8823

• 8

  Participate in the state survey walkthrough. A state survey representative will walk through your assisted living facility to make sure that it is in compliance with all fire codes, safety regulations, and state living standards. They will also look over all your paperwork to make sure that you follow state guidelines regarding day programs and residential living.

• 9

  Follow up on the survey by writing a report that details the state deficiencies. State deficiencies are any errors that your facility received during the survey. The report should include what the deficiencies were and what changes your assisted living center will make to correct the deficiencies. Document the changes made and keep the documentation for a year after you receive your license.

• 10

  Advertise your assisted living center by contacting local Oklahoma area agencies, schools and hospitals and letting them know that you are open. You can also advertise by creating radio ads and TV commercials in Oklahoma. Hold an open house so that people can tour your new assisted living center.